Football blocking sled

ABSTRACT

Means are disclosed for limiting the height at which a football player may strike the contact pad on a blocking sled of the type comprising a base, a support and a resilient member. The heightlimiting means include a generally horizontally extending interference member capable of being positioned at a location spaced from the contact pad and at a predetermined height from the ground, and means for securing that member to the training sled so that the horizontal member effectively limits the height at which the player may contact the sled. The member may be pivoted to a neutral position when not in use. A second feature of the invention includes means for causing the player to maintain his feet at least a predetermined distance apart during his line charge. The stance-extending means includes a telescoping member having a predetermined width. Both the heightlimiting means and the stance-extending means may be attached to existing training sleds, or may be integrally built into new sleds.

United States Patent FOOTBALL BLOCKING SLED 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl Int. Cl Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1958 Detzel Schmuck 2/ 1 969 Leach Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerTheatrice Brown Attorney-Lane, Aitken, Dunner & Ziems ABSTRACT: Means are disclosed for limiting the height at which a football player may strike the contact pad on a blocking sled of the type comprising a base, a support and a resilient member. The height-limiting means include a generally horizontally extending interference member capable of being positioned at a location spaced from the contact pad and at a predetermined height from the ground, and means for securing that member to the training sled so that the horizontal member effectively limits the height at which the player may contact the sled. The member may be pivoted to a neutral position when not in use. A second feature of the invention includes means for causing the player to maintain his feet at least a predetermined distance apart during his line charge. The stance-extending means includes a telescoping member having a predetermined width. Both the height-limiting means and the stance-extending means may be attached to existing training sleds, or may be integrally built into new sleds.

PATENTED W25 I97! SHEET 2 OF 2 N 8 .KO Y ma M J R 50 O H W! T m .T T. CF A N5 m A 9 w M w/ in Q FOOTBALL BLOCKING susn BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improvement in football practice apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to means which maybe attached to known blocking sleds for limiting the height at which the player may contact the pad on the sled. Still more particularly, the invention includes means for causing the player to maintain his feet at least a predetermined distance apart during his charge and contact with the football training sled.

In the development of the ability of a football player, a wide variety of training aids have been produced. Such training aids have included various types of blocking dummies, particularized exercise devices, and the well-known football training sled. An example of a seven-man training sled may be seen in the patent to Young et al., US. Pat. No. 2,653,816, issued Sept. 19,1953.

In effectively using such football blocking machines, or charging machines as they are sometimes known, it has been necessary to stress to the player that he stay low during his charge and during his contact with the blocking machine and that he maintain a wide foot base for improved strength and stability. However, football training sleds have not been provided with mechanical means for physically emphasizing the development of these fundamentals.

Generally, the essentials of staying low while blocking and maintaining a wide foot base are taught by 'a variety of means which are not coordinated with the charging sled. For exam ple, a chutelike device is often used by colleges, high schools, and junior high teams. Those devices resemble a channeled starting gate for race horses with the modification that the upper limit is set at a predetermined height such as, for example 3% to 4 feet from the playing surface. Such a chute physically reminds the charging lineman of the importance of staying low during the initial charge and is intended to develop the habit of maintaining a low height in the stance when making contact with the defensive lineman. Simultaneously, a football coach must stress that the player maintain a wide foot stance, since significantly useful devices to assist in developing this ability have been rare.

Where devices such as spaced tires or spaced boards have been used to practice using a wide stance, their use has not generally been simultaneously coordinated with the development of other football skills.

Consequently, there is a need in the art for a training aid, such as a football sled, which simultaneously requires the player to maintain a low level charge with a wide stance. Such a training aid should also permit those fundamentals to be stressed during a coordinated blocking drill.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved blocking sled which includes means for limiting the height at which the lineman may charge and contact the training sled.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for causing the player to maintain a wide foot base during his charge and contact with the training sled.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide means capable of being used on existing blocking sleds which may be maneuvered into position when stressing the fundamentals of staying low and maintaining a wide foot stance and which may be moved to a neutral position when drills are being conducted using the sled for other purposes.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an adjustable, retractable, horizontal member positioned relative to the contact pad on the football charging machine at a predetermined height.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an extensible member having a predetermined width near the base of a football charging sled to require the player to maintain a wide football stance during his charge and contact with the charging sled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to a solution of the problem of incorporating means for developing the habit of charging low and maintaining a wide foot stance in a football charging sled. In a blocking sled of the type which generally comprises base means, which may be either fixed or moveable, support means secured to the base means, and resilient means for absorbing the shock of contact by the player, the improvement according to the invention comprises means for limiting the height at which the player may make contact with a pad secured to the resilient means. The height-limiting means include a generally horizontally extending member which may be adjustably secured to the training sled. Means are provided for moving the horizontal member to a neutral position when not in use. A second aspect of the invention includes means for causing the lineman to maintain a wide foot stance during his initial charge. Those means comprise a pair of telescoping members secured near the base of the sled and spaced a predetermined distance apart. When in use, the members are extended in a forward direction from the sled in register with the contact pad so that the player is required to maintain a wide stance during his charge and during contact with the charging machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a seven-man blocking sled illustrating the height-limiting means and the stancedetermining means secured to the sled;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partially in section, showing the improved blocking sled;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 further showing the means by which the height-limiting member may be pivoted to a neutral position when not in use;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 further showing the means for determining the height of the horizontal member;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 showing the detail of the telescoping stance-determining means;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the stance-determining means according to the invention showing its telescoping feature; and

FIG. 7 is a view of the height-determining means as detached from the football blocking sled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As may be best seen in FIGS. t and 2, a conventional sevenman blocking sled is shown generally at 10 and includes base means 11. Base means 11 include a plurality of generally U- shaped, spaced, smooth, sliding pontoons 12 so that the sled may be moved by the contact and force exerted against the sled by the player. The invention, however, may also be applied to two-man training sleds and training sleds which are of the fixed base type. Moreover, the number, specific configuration, and position of the pontoons 12 are determined by the specific apparatus.

A base member 13 is secured, as by welding, to pontoon l2 and may be separated therefrom by spacing member 14. The base member 13 of each of the respective blocking cells of the sled (seven cells, as illustrated) are spaced along and secured to a plurality of girder members 15. Girder members 15 extend generally horizontally near the base of the training sled 10.

Support means are shown generally at 16 in the form of a support member 17 which is secured to base member 13 and is reinforced by struts 18 and 19 respectively. It may be understood that the support means and football blocking sleds may take a variety of shapes and forms and that the coaction illustrated in FIG. 2 is intended as being representative of the types of sleds envisioned for use of the invention. One end of strut 18 may be secured to base member 13, while one end of strut 19 may be secured to strut 18 at a point intermediate its length. The other end of strut 19 is secured, as by nuts and bolts, to support member 17. Furthermore, a plurality of strut members 18 may be spaced along and secured to horizontally extending channel member 20 for additional support.

Each of the cells of blocking sleds of the type contemplated generally include resilient means, shown generally at 21, for receiving and absorbing the shock of the contact of the player against a pad 22 secured to bowed member 23. Pad 22 is intended to simulate the opponent to be blocked and may take a variety of forms and configurations which form no part of this invention.

Bowed member 23 may be prestressed to its bowlike configuration or may assume that shape as a result of its connection to support member 117 at its upper end and to base member 13 at its lower end.

The improvement according to the invention comprises a generally horizontally extending interference member 24 having a plurality of generally laterally extending placement members 25 secured generally transversely thereto.

The presence of the interference member 24 at a predetermined height above the ground and spaced from pad 22 forces the player to move beneath member 24 during his charge and while contacting pad 22. Experience has shown that the desired blocking height for a typical player is about 3 or 3% feet.

In the embodiment shown, height-limiting means 28 are adjustably secured to bowed member 23 in a manner which will be discussed in greater detail. Limiting means 28, as can best be seen in FIG. 4, comprise a first plate member 30 in register with a second plate member 31. Means 28 may be adjustably secured to bowed member 23 by a plurality of securing means, such as bolts 32, which may be positioned through the first plate 30 for securing it to the second plate member 31.

A generally outwardly extending rigid member 34 may be secured to plate member 30 as by spot welding 35 or by other suitable means such as U-bolts, lug castings and the like. In the embodiment depicted, interference member 24 is shown resting upon member 34 and secured thereto by clamping means 36 for limiting the height at which the interference member 24 may be positioned relative to pad 22. Clamping means 36 may be simply a bifurcated member for tensioning the member 24 therewithin, or may be a more complex device such as a spring-tensioned catch arrangement or a releaseable locking means.

Means for attaching the height-limiting assembly to support member 17 at any desired position are shown generally at 38 as comprising a pair of plate members 39 and 40 with securing means 41 therebetween. As best seen in FIG. 3, attaching means 38 comprise a generally horizontally extending rigid member 43 fixedly secured to plate member 39. When member 43 is a pipelike member secured to placement member 25 by an elbow M, sufficient rotational capability of elbow 44 on member 43 may provide the capability of pivoting interference member 24 and placement member 25 about an axis of member 43 so that the structure may be placed in a neutral position on the rear side of the sled, such as for example adjacent support means 17. In the alternative, member 4l3 may also be pivotably secured to plate member 39 by a number of means known to the art, as by use of U-bolts or by more sophisticated means.

In use, the apparatus according to the invention which includes interference member M and placement member 25 is pivoted from its neutral position so that member 25 rests upon member 34 of limiting means 28. That positioning is shown in FIG. 2 whereupon it may be understood that the player must maintain his height during charge and contact below the interference member 24 for contact with pad 22.

One of the unique capabilities of the apparatus is that its height may be adjustable on known sleds in accordance with the needs of the particular player. Another capability of the invention is that it may be readily attached to known and available football charging machines and it may be easily adjusted when attached to the machine. In FIG. 7, the attaching pieces of apparatus necessary for the height-limiting aspect of the invention are shown, without the second plate members for the attaching means 38 and the limiting means 28.

While the principles of the embodiment of this invention have been illustrated for a preferred structure, it may be understood that the limiting means 28 and the adjustable attaching means 38 may take a wide variety of particular shapes, each particularly adapted to the actual installation.

A second feature of the invention for improving the capabilities of known training sleds relates to providing stance-extending means at each cell of the sled. In the embodiment illustrated, stance-extending means 50 comprise an extensible, elongated, telescoping rectangular member 511 adjustably secured within member 52 so that member 51 may telescope relative to member 52. Similarly, means 50 also include rectangular member 53 adjustably secured within member 54 which is complementary in shape and which also permits telescoping between members 53 and 543. Member 51 is spaced at a predetermined lateral distance, for example 9 inches to 1 foot, from member 53 so that when the members are extended, as shown in FIG. 6, the player must keep his feet outside of the edges of opposed members 51 and 53. Members 51 and 53 may be relieved somewhat at their edge so that in the event a players foot inadvertently rests upon them, it will tend to slip off without injury. Thus, the player maintains a wide foot stance during his charge and contact with the machine.

FIGS. l and 2 show the positioning of stance-extending means 50 at each cell of the blocking sled and their relation ship to girder member 15. Means 50 may be attached to the sled by any attaching means desired, such as spot welding, for permanent installation, to existing machines, or by C-clamps and the like, for temporary installation. Thus, the stance-extending means is also capable of being attached to known sleds, or incorporated into newly made sleds. Moreover, the stance-extending means 50 may be positioned during nonuse where no interference with the free use of the sled results.

In one embodiment, a transverse member 55 may span the forward edges of members 51 and 53 for aesthetic purposes and to avoid injury to the player. Moreover, pin members 58 may be provided in a wall of members 52 and 54 and pass therethrough to engage complementary openings in members 51 and 53. Thus, members 51 and 53 may be locked in either the extended or retracted position.

We claim:

1. In a blocking sled of the type comprising base means, support means secured to said base means, resilient means secured to said support means and to said base means, said resilient means including a shockabsorbing pad attached thereto and positioned to receive contact from a player the improvement comprising:

interference means for limiting the height at which contact from the player may be directed at said pad, said interference means having a horizontal extent at least equal to the width of said pad, and

means for securing said interference means to said blocking sled in such a manner that said interference means may be positioned in a first position relative to said pad to limit the height at which contact from the participant may be directed at said pad and in a second position which does not substantially interfere with the height of said contact by said player on said pad.

2 The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said interference means comprises:

a generally horizontally extending interference member which is positioned at a selectable height above the playing surface and spaced outwardly from said pad for limiting the height at which the contact of the player may be directed against said pad when said interference means is in said first position and a plurality of placement members secured to said interference member, and wherein said securing means comprises:

attaching means connected to said support means and to said placement members for securing said placement members to said sled, and

limiting means connected to said resilient means and coacting with said placement members to position said interference member at a predetermined height when said interference means is in said first position.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said attaching means includes:

a first plate member,

means for securing said plate member to said support means,

a first rigid member secured to said plate member and to one of said placement members so that said interference member and said placement member may be pivoted about the axis of said rigid member to a position which does not inhibit the height at which contact of the player may be applied to said pad.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said attaching means may be adjustably positioned along said support member.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said limiting means includes:

a plate member,

means for securing said plate member to said resilient means, and

a second rigid member secured to said plate member, said limiting means being adjustably positionable on said resilient means so that a limit is provided for the height of said interference member by the positioning of said placement member against said rigid member.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including:

stance-extending means including at least a pair of telescoping members for causing the player to maintain his feet at least a predetermined distance apart, said means being capable of placement at a position which does not interfere with the action of the player against said pad means by telescoping one of said pair of telescoping members within the other of said pair of telescoping members, and

means for securing said stance-extending means to the base means of said blocking sled.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said stanceextending means includes:

a first pair of extensible, elongated, telescoping members,

and

a second pair of extensible, elongated, telescoping members, each of said first pair and said second pair being secured to said base means of said blocking sled so that a player must maintain his feet at least as far apart as the distance between said first pair and said second pair of telescoping members.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 further including a rigid member connected to the leading edge of each of the telescoping members of each of said pair of telescoping members.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 further including:

locking means for securing the telescoping member in either the extended or retractable position, said locking means including pin members passing through an opening in the wall of the outer telescoping member and engaging a complementary opening in the inner telescoping member.

10. In a blocking sled of the type comprising base means, support means secured to said base means, resilient means secured to said support means and to said base means, said resilient means including a shock-absorbing pad attached thereto and positioned to receive contact from a player, the improvement comprising:

stance-extending means including at least a pair of telescoping members for causing the participant to maintain his feet at least a predetermined distance apart, said means being capable of placement at a position which does not interfere with the action of the participant against said pad means by telescoping one of said pair of telescoping members within the other of said pair of telescoping members, said one of said pair having at the free end thereof a transversely extending element having an extent sufficient to cause the player to maintain his feet said predetermined distance apart, and

means for securing said stance-extending means to the base means of said blocking sled. 

1. In a blocking sled of the type comprisiNg base means, support means secured to said base means, resilient means secured to said support means and to said base means, said resilient means including a shock-absorbing pad attached thereto and positioned to receive contact from a player the improvement comprising: interference means for limiting the height at which contact from the player may be directed at said pad, said interference means having a horizontal extent at least equal to the width of said pad, and means for securing said interference means to said blocking sled in such a manner that said interference means may be positioned in a first position relative to said pad to limit the height at which contact from the participant may be directed at said pad and in a second position which does not substantially interfere with the height of said contact by said player on said pad.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said interference means comprises: a generally horizontally extending interference member which is positioned at a selectable height above the playing surface and spaced outwardly from said pad for limiting the height at which the contact of the player may be directed against said pad when said interference means is in said first position and a plurality of placement members secured to said interference member, and wherein said securing means comprises: attaching means connected to said support means and to said placement members for securing said placement members to said sled, and limiting means connected to said resilient means and coacting with said placement members to position said interference member at a predetermined height when said interference means is in said first position.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said attaching means includes: a first plate member, means for securing said plate member to said support means, a first rigid member secured to said plate member and to one of said placement members so that said interference member and said placement member may be pivoted about the axis of said rigid member to a position which does not inhibit the height at which contact of the player may be applied to said pad.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said attaching means may be adjustably positioned along said support member.
 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said limiting means includes: a plate member, means for securing said plate member to said resilient means, and a second rigid member secured to said plate member, said limiting means being adjustably positionable on said resilient means so that a limit is provided for the height of said interference member by the positioning of said placement member against said rigid member.
 6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including: stance-extending means including at least a pair of telescoping members for causing the player to maintain his feet at least a predetermined distance apart, said means being capable of placement at a position which does not interfere with the action of the player against said pad means by telescoping one of said pair of telescoping members within the other of said pair of telescoping members, and means for securing said stance-extending means to the base means of said blocking sled.
 7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said stance-extending means includes: a first pair of extensible, elongated, telescoping members, and a second pair of extensible, elongated, telescoping members, each of said first pair and said second pair being secured to said base means of said blocking sled so that a player must maintain his feet at least as far apart as the distance between said first pair and said second pair of telescoping members.
 8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 further including a rigid member connected to the leading edge of each of the telescoping members of each of said pair of telescoping members.
 9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 further inclUding: locking means for securing the telescoping member in either the extended or retractable position, said locking means including pin members passing through an opening in the wall of the outer telescoping member and engaging a complementary opening in the inner telescoping member.
 10. In a blocking sled of the type comprising base means, support means secured to said base means, resilient means secured to said support means and to said base means, said resilient means including a shock-absorbing pad attached thereto and positioned to receive contact from a player, the improvement comprising: stance-extending means including at least a pair of telescoping members for causing the participant to maintain his feet at least a predetermined distance apart, said means being capable of placement at a position which does not interfere with the action of the participant against said pad means by telescoping one of said pair of telescoping members within the other of said pair of telescoping members, said one of said pair having at the free end thereof a transversely extending element having an extent sufficient to cause the player to maintain his feet said predetermined distance apart, and means for securing said stance-extending means to the base means of said blocking sled. 